A True Meeting of the Minds
by darcygirl
Summary: Rory said herself that Shane and Jess were a true meeting of the minds. Of course, she never meant that. She knew Jess and herself were a true meeting of the minds. Starts from Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days in Season 3.
1. Chapter 1

A True Meeting of the Minds

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I have no association with Gilmore Girls or the WB. I'm not stealing their work; however, I did paraphrase some original show content from various episodes. This is the first fanfic I've ever published. The letter from Rory is supposed to contain mistakes. Please review!

(Would be Set during Season 3 Episode 1: Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days)

Dear Jess

I've been staring at this blank sheet of paper addressed to you every free moment I've had since I've been in Washington. I've thought of so many different things to tell you that I just couldn't make myself admit, especially over the phone. You make me crazy. Hazy crazy, like every time I'm in the same room as you, my heart beats faster.

When I call you on the phone, the whole time I can't stop smiling like an idiot. I'm probably going to regret spilling my guts like this to you. Hopefully, I will only regret the reason why I finally had the courage to start writing to you.

Paris, the girl who accused Luke of running a cathouse above the diner, is on this date right now. It was her first "real" date, and she was completely freaked out to the point that she paid someone of legal age to buy her Smirnoff and begged me to take a shot with her. I'm not one to give in to peer pressure, but sharing a room with Paris for an entire summer would have driven Mother Teresa to the bottle. I've had three shots and I'm sipping my third Mimosa right now which gets you complete honesty from me.

I like you. I like you a lot. But I'm confused. I thought I loved Dean. I mean I do love him still. He's great to me, and I'm so lucky. Of course I love him. Who wouldn't I love him? Everyone thinks we're this perfect couple, destined to be together. Even If Dean doesn't enjoy looking for hours at bookstores and record shops with me and would rather go see Star Wars for a sixth time in theater, I love him. Everyone thinks so anyways.

Except for you. When you came, everything changed. I never realized that there could be anything else out there for me. Any other guy that I would really want to kiss.

Well, there was Tristan. I kissed him the night after Dean broke up with me because I wouldn't tell him that I loved him after he told me he loved me. How horrible am I? I hated myself for that for months and months. Even though I did sort of have a fleeting crush on the guy, I never would have skipped school to go visit him in New York.

This Smirnoff is making me feel pretty good. "In Vino Veritas" right? If this is what it takes for me to contact you, then I guess it's a good thing.

PLEASE BURN THIS WHOLE DUMB THING AFTER YOU READ IT.

I kissed you when I saw you at Sookie's wedding because obviously you're way too sexy for your own good. I mean, really? It's not even fair how sexy you are. Plus, I like you a lot. When I was explaining to Paris how you know if someone's right for you, every single thing I said related to you. You're so smart. You make everyone at Chilton look like idiots. Yet, you don't care. You don't remind me of anyone else. You're completely original. You're brilliant. You're smarter than me, and that drives me crazy.

None of the stuff I told Paris about knowing if you like a guy and if he's right for you described how I feel about Dean anymore. Oh God, I have to break up with him. I have no choice.

I just am scared that you really are going to end up hurting me like everyone says "bad boys" do. Forgive me for placing you in a stereotype because I really do know you are so so much better than that, but I analyze everything. EVERYTHING. I made a 3 page pro/con list to decide between organizing my books by author or by genre when I was 15.

I can't really make impulsive decisions..except kissing you. Which was completely amazing. I get this crazy feeling in my stomach just thinking about it, about you. I wasn't ever this crazy when I first "liked" Dean. But I really think I've fallen for you. My mom told me that when I went to New York to see you, but I ignored her. She was right though. She was so right. I've fallen for you. Really, truly fallen for you.

After this awful letter, you probably will make fun of me forever and I'll never be able to go to Luke's again without being embarrassed. Then I'll die from no coffee.

But I'm being totally honest for the first time in forever, and you deserve the truth. I want to be with you Jess. I want to be with you because you make me feel right. Does that make sense? It doesn't feel right with Dean the way it feels right with you. I can talk to you about anything. I skipped school for you which was horrible of me by the way. I was so ashamed and guilty because I ended up missing my mom's graduation because the stupid bus was late. But, as I went to sleep that night, I could still only think about you. How perfect our day together was. It's so easy to talk to you, but at the same time, I never know what to expect with you. And we're always flirting around the fact that there's obviously some kind of feelings between us.

So, here's my confession of my feelings for you. I never figured my first time to make some sort of drunken confession would be while I'm at a leadership conference in Washington, D.C. Just please ignore this all and burn this letter after you read it. Unless, I'm not stupid, and you like me too. But I know that's not true. Oh God. Shutting up now. .next time I do this, I'll use a pencil or something and edit it. But I want to be fully honest with you, and with myself.

Yours Truly, (although slightly inebriated)

Rory

Jess' smirk turned into an official smile.

If only someone could have captured the moment with a Polaroid, the picture could have won its way into some kind of ad for smiles.

Jess finally got what he wanted. He had been waiting all summer for some communication with Rory, even if it was her telling him she only kissed him because she was drunk. Or that she just felt the need to go slumming for two minutes and was completely over even being friends with him. But, her drunken confession that she liked him and thought he was sexy was a thousand times better. As an added bonus, he would never have to listen to that idiot blonde girl talk again, even if she was Stars Hollow's next best thing to a Playbunny.

He couldn't wait to get her out of the apartment so he could go to his favorite spot and bask in the fact that Rory was most likely about to be his girlfriend. He turned MTV off, much to Shane's dismay. What the hell kind of person truly liked watching the same re-runs of _Life of Ryan _all summer anyways?

Jess: "Shawn."

Shane, giggling as in proof of her idiocy, corrected, "It's Shane."

Jess: "Whatever. This isn't working out anymore. See ya."

Shane: "Okaaay. Can I have five bucks?"

Jess: "Excuse me?"

"I need some cigarettes."

"You don't even smoke."

"Yeahhh, but Chris Maple only dates girls who smoke. And I need a boyfriend. You owe me."

Jess, beyond annoyed and out of cash, gave her his pack of cigarettes. She rolled her eyes and left, slamming the door behind her. After grabbing _We the Living _by Ayn Rand, a sheet of paper, and an envelope, Jess quickly headed through the diner before Luke could talk him into refilling everyone's coffees. As soon as he made it outside, he headed straight for the bridge.

Two days later, Rory got the best letter of her life. She almost wanted to hug Paris for buying that vodka, even though she got really sick after her return from the post office that night.

Rory,

I'm reading _We the Living_. Can't wait to hear you try to justify this one. I'll leave you some notes.

Jess

Rory immediately forced herself to call Dean at his grandmother's.

Dean: Hey, is everything okay? You never call at his time. It's good to hear your voice though.

Rory: Dean, please don't be nice to me, because you are about to hate me. This is so, so, so hard for me, and you don't deserve this, especially over the phone, but I have to be honest. You were the best first boyfriend ever. And I really did love you. You will always be special to me, and I hope that one day you maybe won't hate me anymore. But, I can't be with you. We have to break up.

Dean: Rory…maybe we should talk about this when I get back.

Rory: Dean, I can't put this off any longer. I'm sure. I've been thinking about it the whole time I've been up here.

Dean: Fine, Rory. Whatever. I hope you're happy with Jess. Bye.

Rory: Bye, Dean.

And Rory and Dean were broken up. Rory hoped these last few days in Washington went by quickly. But, she was nervous to see Jess. Did this mean they were officially together? How would her mom react to that? Calling Lorelai might just be harder than calling Dean. She could not believe she actually broke up with Dean after two years over the phone. That was a really low thing to do, but she had to see Jess as soon as possible, and Dean wouldn't be in Stars Hollow for another week after she arrived from Washington.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I really appreciate the response Chapter 1 got, but I'm also a little nervous about Chapter 2! I hope you enjoy it and continue reviewing Thank you so much for the responses to Chapter 1, and I am sorry it's taken me awhile to post again! I paraphrased parts that were in the actual show to give it more of an authentic feel.

Two days later, Rory was running into her mother's outstretched arms in the airport.

"Rory, I missed you so much! While I was waiting for your plane, I fed gummy bears to the bomb-sniffing dogs which apparently is an activity the U.S. government frowns upon."

"You got in trouble with the government while you were waiting for me? How much?"

"Learn Russian. And anyways, you have no room to talk."

"Me? What could I, your adoring, perfect first- born daughter, do that is anywhere close to your borderline terrorist acts?"

"You broke up with the boy voted top first-boyfriend of the century for a book-margin-defiling hoodlum?"

"Oh. Right. Wait, What?"

Rory thought she was losing her mind. She had carefully planned to tell her mother about her and Dean's break-up on the way to Friday Night Dinner. Any news would be better than the time that Lorelai was being forced to spend with Emily and Richard. Not even the free, open bar that the Gilmores kept heavily stocked could brighten those dinners for Lorelai. So, there was no way on earth unless Dean called Lorelai that she could have found out. Could she?

"Hun. You can't hide things from me. Face it, I'm everywhere. I'm like the wind or like hairspray in the 80's. You can't always see it, but it's always there."

"I think the hairspray used in the 80's was always visible. But, seriously, how did you find out? I was going to tell you on the way home from dinner."

"Well, as you know, Kirk is the mailman, and he may have accidentally given the letter you wrote for Jess to your beautiful mother instead."

"And you read it?"

"I sat it on the counter for two hours deciding whether or not to read it. I went through an entire bag of marshmallows, four pop tarts, and two pieces of pizza before deciding to stop eating snacks before dinner and to go give the letter to Luke when I went in for my usual burger and coffee that night."

"Your stomach and I appreciate it so much."

"Why? You didn't want me to read it? Was the letter _dirty_?"

"Mom. Can we finish talking about this in the car? Because I've been in an airport since 7 this morning, and I'm very hungry."

"Hungry for your diner boyfriend! Despite how much effort it takes for me to speak to Jess, To Luke's it is!"

"What? But, what about Grandma's?"

"You mean you don't want to go have dinner and a beautiful, large cup of coffee at the diner where your new boyfriend both works and lives?"

"Well, of course I do. It's just that ..well, I got presents for Grandma and Grandpa. And, they take up space that we don't really have in the house right now. And also, if you didn't read the letter I sent to Jess, then why do you keep calling him my boyfriend? Because I haven't even talked about that with him yet. And did you just assume I broke up with Dean since I sent Jess one letter over the summer?"

"Considering the fact that Jess has given me as many cups of coffee as I ask for without even charging me a nickel or the fact that he stopped giving me any of his usual charming glares or sarcastic _ma'am's_ since the exact day I gave that letter to Luke, I just assumed something good had happened to him. Plus, there was this teeny-tiny detail that happened two days ago that may have given me a teeny-tiny little hint. And, of course, my being like hairspray in the 80's and the wind."

"Right. And that would teeny-tiny detail would be?"

"Well, here's the reader's digest version: Dean told a guy on the hockey team who told his girlfriend who told her mother who told Mrs. Patti who told everyone else (and I do mean everyone else) that Rory Gilmore, formerly Princess Food of Stars Hollow, broke up with him over the phone."

"Great. Now, I'm what? The "Date Bad Boys" Princess?"

"No, of course not sweetie. You're just the girl whose dating the town hoodlum. You lost your title. And, by the way, if anyone asks you if you only broke up with Dean because you found out he was your long lost cousin, just ignore them."

"What? Please don't say that you made that one up."

"Well, I was so lonely and distraught that you were gone so far away all summer. And, I may have gone to Karaoke night at Al's and got a little tipsy. Now, I know what you're thinking since you are the perfect child, aside from anything you've ever done with Jess, but…"

"Mom. You did read that letter didn't you? I can't believe you, of all people, would go through my personal stuff. That's real mature. Thanks."

Rory, embarrassed and angry, sped up to the door of Luke's with her mom running behind her, but she soon stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait up! I did not read that letter! I was just teasing you. But what bad things have you done with him? Please don't ever make me run after you again…Can't catch my breath. Wow, I'm so out of shape. Ror. Rory, what's wrong? You look like my mother."

"Ugh! Thanks."

"What? You like my mother?"

"But you don't like your mother."

"Ok. I'm sorry. Will you tell me what's wrong?"

"Jess knows that I like him, and I know that he likes me. But I, we, I mean does that mean we are dating? I have no idea. So, I can't just walk in there where he is looking extremely well Jess-like."

"Hun. It's okay for you to think Jess is sexy."

"Fine! I can't just walk in there when he is looking very sexy."

"Yes. You can. You're the vice-president of Chilton. You can walk up to whoever you want and command them to do anything you want."

"Mom, I'm serious."

"Just walk in there. We'll say hi as usual. We'll order food and massive amounts of coffee. Then, you can play off what he does or says. And you can always just ask him if you can talk to him upstairs."

"As easy and perfect as that sounds, I just am not good with stuff like that like you are."

"Well, Rory, I disagree with you. But, I don't think you'll get a chance to practice because look whose…"

Jess, looking particularly sexy, walks out of the diner looking a little surprised to see Rory and Lorelai standing there.

"Oh. Hi."

"Hi."

"Hey Jess. Rory's having the hardest time remembering that book about the thing. Why don't you stay outside and help her remember? I am going inside to get coffee! Oh, Lukeee.."

Whether Rory felt ready to have this conversation with Jess or not, her mom made sure it was forced upon her. But then again Jess was never too fond of talking about serious matters. And as he pulled Rory around the side of the building, his lips looked like ready to be used for something other than talking.


End file.
